Last Wednesday (January 23), the Manchester City Supporters Club in Glossop had the chance of a lifetime, hosting all five trophies that The Blues won in 2023- the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

With over 350 supporters groups worldwide, there were plenty of Manchester City Supporters Clubs who had their eye on hosting the silverware, but it was the Glossop branchwho were one of the lucky groups to be presented with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Just under 200 fans made the trip down to the Friendship Inn to get a glimpse of their beloved clubs’ achievements, getting up close and personal with five of the most coveted sporting trophies in the world in, of all places, their local pub!

The people of Glossop would never have had the chance to host such an unbelievable event had it not been for the founders of the Glossop branch, Jimmy Saunders and Gaz Baker.

Knowing that Glossop had such a large Manchester City following, the two got together back in 2022 along with 51 founding members, and established what is now a 166-strong group.

The branch is jointly run by Jimmy and Gaz, along with Chris Mountfort, Stephen Brotherton, Tom Gaskin, and Dan Carter, who arrange weekly transport and tickets for all home and away games for members.

The branch gets together once a month at the Friendship Inn, where landlady Alison Hallidayhas kindly hosted the branch since it was founded, which they have now made their home.

At these meet-ups, the club often have a guest speaker present, such as an ex-player. The most notable example of this is Paul Lake, who made an appearance at the branch in early January.

The ages of the members range from teenagers right up to 91-year-old Winifred Cooke, who has been a Manchester City fan since 1932. 

Winifred was a season ticket holder at both Maine Road and the Etihad but gave it up a few years ago and decided to only attend cup matches, before she stopped going completely following the pandemic.

Chris Mountfort, one of the committee members who organised the event, said the night was a dream come true: “I would have never dreamt I’d get to see City win anything 20 years ago let alone win all five trophies.

“For us to have the opportunity to see the trophies up close in such a personal and private environment was an absolute privilege.

“This is an event that the area of Glossop has never seen before, and may never see again, so to have all five trophies here in the town made us all immensely proud and we hope this is something the locals will remember forever.”

The supporters club are open to new members from July, and fans can apply by visiting the supporters club section of the Manchester City website and searching for the Glossop branch,via the following link: www.mancity.com/supporters-clubs